Two major classes of machines are presently in existence for use in the bending of metal wires; i.e., (2) those machines which are used in large-scale production, and which include bending tools which are placed in a position which corresponds to the shape which is to be imparted to the metal wire, and (2) those machines which are used in small-scale production, which, unlike the previously mentioned machines, require only a small amount of tooling in order to change from one shape to another.
The machines in category (2) above, which are used to bend wire, are virtually all designed in the same way. In this method, the wire is taken from a spool or coil, passes through a straightening device, and is then processed by a handling system which delivers the desired length of wire to the bending tool, which generally consists of a finger and a bending unit, between which the metal wire passes, with the pivoting of the tool resulting in the bending of the wire.
The disadvantage of these machines is that they generally consist of only a single tool, but in order to achieve bends with different radii of curvature, it is necessary to combine the work of that tool with the forward motion of the wire, which in some cases renders it impossible to obtain an accurate result.
The present invention makes it possible to remedy these disadvantages by providing a bending head having multiple tools, whose design is simple, and which can be readily affixed to machines for bending metal wires.